1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fiber-reinforced urethane molding provided with coating films. This invention particularly relates to a fiber-reinforced urethane molding provided with coating films for use as interior and exterior trim members of vehicles, or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to decrease the weight of automobiles or reduce vibration and noise thereof, it has heretofore been proposed to use fiber-reinforced urethane moldings provided with coating films as interior trim members or at sections of outer panels of vehicle bodies where a high strength is not required.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the conventional fiber-reinforced urethane molding provided with coating films. The conventional fiber-reinforced urethane molding provided with coating films is prepared by applying a urethane coating material onto the surface of a molded urethane layer 1 reinforced by mixing reinforcing fibers 2 thereto, baking the coating layer to form a primer coating film 3, allowing the molded urethane layer 1 and the primer coating film 3 to cool, and then applying a urethane coating material different from that of the primer coating film 3 onto the surface of the primer coating film 3 to form a top coating film 6.
However, in the conventional fiber-reinforced urethane molding provided with coating films, since the primer coating film 3 acting as the substrate for the top coating film 6 is soft, the reinforcing fibers 2 project out of the surface of the molded urethane layer 1 and the surface thereof becomes uneven when the molded urethane layer 1 is allowed to cool and thermally shrinks. As a result, the surface of the primer coating film 3 becomes uneven, and surface roughening arises on the surface of the top coating film 6. When the finish quality of the conventional fiber-reinforced urethane molding provided with coating films is compared with that of a coated steel member of an outer panel of a vehicle body, the latter is generally within the range of 0.7 to 0.8 as expressed by PGD values, but the former is within the range of 0.3 to 0.5. Therefore, when the conventional fiber-reinforced urethane molding provided with coating films and the coated steel member are positioned adjacent to each other, they do not match in appearance.
By the term "PGD value" as used herein is meant a value of distinctness of image gloss as measured by use of an image gloss distinctness meter (PGD meter) wherein images of reference numerals having various sizes are projected onto the surface of a test sample and the readability of the images of the reference numerals projected on the surface of the test sample is measured to evaluate the distinctness of image gloss on the surface of the test sample.